This would only be acceptable if race, gender and age were not considered as risk factors. More importantly prisons would have to be adequately funded and managed, with programs designed to reduce recidivism (though it would be preferable for the portion of the sentence related to risk of recidivism to be carried out in the community).

Wasn't there a Sci-Fi movie with Tom Cruise about taking out people before they committed crimes?

This is a mile wide 70 degree slippery slope in even more experimental social engineering. The article seems to express no concerns for the inevitable unforeseen consequences or legal ramifications of this spooky idea.

If they want to do a pilot program to see how it works, they need to take it to Washington DC and apply it to all the people there... arresting, incarcerating and maybe even an execution every now and again before they commit crimes isn't a bad idea on how to motivate the rest of them to not push their luck.

Instead of incarcerating people (violent criminals being the exception) why aren't we working towards redemption and rehabilitation, teaching life skills, and job training?

Because, based on my 32 years of practicing law and representing both accused and convicted persons, and law enforcement officers, many people are simply beyond redemption, usually because they don't want to be redeemed. Sad but true.

Instead of incarcerating people (violent criminals being the exception) why aren't we working towards redemption and rehabilitation, teaching life skills, and job training?

Because, based on my 32 years of practicing law and representing both accused and convicted persons, and law enforcement officers, many people are simply beyond redemption, usually because they don't want to be redeemed. Sad but true.

^^^^^^^^^^This is true, but few want to accept it. I'll see if I can find the stats on it. They're shocking.

Pennsylvania has roughly 50,000 people in state custody, 2,000 more than it has permanent beds for. Thousands more are in local jails, and hundreds of thousands are on probation or parole. The state spends $2 billion a year on its corrections system — more than 7 percent of the total state budget, up from less than 2 percent 30 years ago.